Decimal indicator and marking guide



April 7, 1953 c. BUEHLER ,633,967

DECIMAL INDICATOR AND MARKING GUIDE Filed May 19, 1951 INVENTOR. C ar] ,Buefiler &

f" 7' LLLaZrS Patented Apr. 7, 1953 DECIMAL INDICATOR AND MARKING GUIDE Carl Buehler, Palatine, 111., assignor to Victor Adding Machine 00., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application May 19, 1951, Serial No. 227,257

2 Claims.

My invention relates generally to calculating machines, and more particularly to an improved decimal indicator and marking guide forming a part of such machine. In using an adding and listing type of calculatmg machine for the performance of operations of multiplication and devision, it is necessary to keep track of the location of the decimal point in the resultant product or quotient. Furthermore, it is sometimes necessary or desirable to mark the decimal point upon the record tape.

I have therefore devised a simple and convenient means for indicating the location of the decimal point and also for guiding a pencil in making a mark indicating a decimal point, or for ruling a line on the record tape.

Other objects will become apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of a calculating machine showing particularly the position of the decimal indicator and pencil guide;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view to an enlarged scale, showing the improved guide and indicator;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view, taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the movable part of the guide and indicator.

Referring to Fig. 1, the invention is shown as forming part of a calculating machine comprising a casing It having a hood portion l2 which includes a throat part 14 forming a guide for a paper record tape [6. The paper strip passes over a platen [8 (Fig. 3), and the latter, in addition to being rotated by the usual paper feeding mechanism, may be manually operated by a knurled knob 20, a portion of which projects through a suitable opening in the hood l2.

Spaced a short distance in front of the platen is a guide bar 22 which is secured to the casing part In by a pair of screws 24. This guide bar is provided with shallow grooves 25 in its longitudinal edges, and has the numbers from 1 to suitably marked on its upper surface.

A combined decimal point position indicator and pencil guide 26 has an inverted channel shaped part 28 embracing the guide bar 22, the downwardly extending portions of which are conformed to fit in the shallow grooves formed in the edge of the bar 22. The channel shaped part 28 is resilient and frictionally engages the guide bar 22, so that it will remain in any position in which it is set. The indicator and guide has a rearwardly extending pointer part 30 provided with flanges 32 to form a guide for a pencil which is to be used in marking the record strip 1'6. The guide and indicator 26 is provided with an opening 34 through which one of the numbers on the upper surface of the bar 22 may be observed, these numbers being arranged relative to the position of the printing mechanism such that the number of digits to the right of the pointer and guide is indicated by the number visible through the opening 34.

In using the device, as soon as the number of digits to the right of the decimal point in the result is determined, the pointer is set to the required position by observing the correct number through the opening 34 in the guide and indicator 25. After the calculation has been completed, the operator may slide a pencil into the guide and mark the record tape. This may be rapidly done since the two flanges 32 will quickly and easily guide the pencil point to the indicated position.

Under some circumstances it may be desirable to rule the tape. This can be done easily by holding the pencil in the guide and sliding the guide and pencil along the bar 22 to the extent desired, or if a vertical ruling is desired, the pencil may be held in the guide and the paper tape advanced or retracted by manually rotating the knob 20.

In the usual use of the device, a person, prior to commencement of a calculating operation, will determine the proper position of the decimal point and set the combined guide and indicator over the proper number on the bar 22, and when the calculations have been completed will, if the tape is to be kept as a record, place a pencil mark at the proper point merely by sliding it rearwardly in the guide, and thereby marking a decimal point at the proper place.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent that numerous variations and modifications thereof may be made without departing from the underlying principles of the invention. I therefore desire, by the following claims, to include within the scope of the invention all such variations and modifications by which substantially the results of my invention may be ob tained through the use of substantially the same or equivalent means.

I claim:

1. In a calculating machine having a platen for receiving a record tape upon which the results of a calculation are printed and having a part adjacent that portion of the record tape upon which the last imprinted amount appears, and which overlies a portion of the platen, the combination of a guide extending parallel to the platen and secured to said part of the machine, said guide having a series of digits marked thereon in spaced relation corresponding to the denominational orders of digits imprinted on the record tape, a decimal point indicator slidably mounted on said guide and having a pointer extending into close proximity with the record tape, said indicator having a window through which one of the digits marked on the guide may be observed to indicate the number of denominational orders to the right of the point on the record tape indicated by the pointer, and a pair of upwardly extending side walls on the pointer converging toward the indicating end thereof to guide a pencil point to the point on the record tape indicated by the pointer.

2. In a calculating machine having a platen for receiving a record tape upon which the results of a calculation are printed and having a part adjacent that portion of the record tape upon which the last imprinted amount appears and which overlies a portion of the platen, the com bination of a guide extending parallel to the 4 platen and secured to said part of the machine, said guide having a series of digits marked there on in spaced relation corresponding to the denominational orders of digits imprinted on the record tape, and a decimal point indicator slidv ably mounted on said guide and having a pointer extending into close proximity with the record tape, said indicator having a window through which one of the digits marked on the guide may be observed to indicate the number of denominational orders to the right of the point on the record tape indicated by the pointer.

CARL BUEHLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

